Printed in a “Tyrant Gold” filament color, the 3D-printed car cost $1,770 (11,000 yuan) and took around a month and a half to manufacture, with the 3D-printing process taking five full days. It was unveiled in the country’s Hainan Province. Manufactured by the Sanya Industrial Innovation Design Center in Sanya City, the convertible runs on rechargeable batteries and is completely electrically powered.
The car is 11.9 ft (3.6m) long and 5.5 ft (1.63m) wide. At 1102 pounds, it has a light, but strong enough body weight to carry two people. Chief designer Chen Mingqiao said the vehicle "features high strength and toughness," further adding that "the density of the material is much lighter than that of the metal, only one-seventh or one-eighth."
"Lighter weight will help save energy in the future." He said.
— 3D Printing News (@3DPrintGirl) March 25, 2015
The world’s first 3D-printed car was the Urbee, which was created in 2013 in a collaborative project between design firm KOR EcoLogic, direct digital manufacturers RedEye on Demand, and 3D-printing manufacturer Stratsys. Arizona Company Local Motors also debuted their first 3D-printed car, named Strati, in January and have plans to custom print 3D vehicles for clients.
China has been making significant strides in the field of 3D-printing. Last year, the WinSun Decoration Design Engineering company constructed ten single story 3D-printed homes in under 24 hours. Furthering their capabilities, the company also produced a five-story 3D-printed apartment block – the world’s tallest 3D-printed building.
